Gemotions

The flickering neon sign of the all-night diner cast elongated shadows across Liam’s face as he waited for his order. He kept checking his phone, each time a fresh wave of unease washing over him. The messages from "StarGazer87" were so familiar, so intimate, yet the thought of her being *here* felt wrong, like a glitch in reality.

He picked at the offered fries, appetite gone. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand, his eyes darting to the entrance. He half-expected to see her, to see those words he had read so many times reflected in flesh and blood. Instead, it was just the usual late-night crowd, their conversations a meaningless drone.

His stomach churned, and he pushed the plate away, suddenly unable to swallow another bite. He had to get out of here. He paid, leaving a generous tip, and practically fled the diner, the cool night air doing little to calm the tightness in his chest.